Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-10-20
USEFUL SOCIETIES.
Tho Origin and Progreoe or AmeEls
Agricultural Assoetations.

Tho Origin and Progress OF Ame91c1D
Agricultural Assoeiations-
The number.o of societies in England
holding fairs relating to agriculture
and live stock. etc. is-oficially stated
at one hundred and ten. The dates Of
the fairs range from May &c to Decem-
Der Is. Among those are the Bath
and West of England Society, organ
lied in III. the first farmers club in
England. The Royal Agricultural
Society. which has exerted SO wide an
influence upon improved processes and
cultivation in soil and animal farming
Of the world, was founded in 1858.
Its motto was Practice with Science"
In 1910 England had organized :
Board of Agriculture, Of which Sir
John Sinclair was president. and
Arthur Young secretary. There were
in this year eighty-one agricultural So
cieties in regular working order. and
of one of these the Badenach and
Strathspey Society. the celebrated
Duchess of Gordon was president.
The first agricultural society formed
in America was 1.-The Philadelphia
(Pa.) Society for Promoting Agricult-
ure." Among the awards of this so
ciety in 1890 was gold medal to Mr..
Matheson for the best sample and
greatest quantity of cheese;
The first agricultural society ever
incorporated in America was the ESQ
cicty for the Promotion of Agriculture.
of South Carolina, established in lisa
Its objects included, among others. the
Institution of q farm for experiments.
and the importation and distribution of
products suited to the climate Of that
: State. q
In New York Society. for the Adj
vancemcnt of Agriculture was incor-
porated in 1871, but it died at the age
of ten years.
The Society for the Promotion Of
Useful Arts, in which agriculture was
first named, established in 1904, pub
lished seven volumes of Transactions
previous to 1915. The New York State
Agricultural! Society held its first regu-
lar fair in 1910. the admission being
twelve and one-half cents.
In Massachusetts, in 1903. the trus-
tees of the Massachusetts Society for
Promoting Agriculture, offered among
others. premium of one hundred dol
lars, or the society's gold medal for a
cheap and effectual method of Destroy
ing the canker worm. From the be-
ginnings thus noted agriculture, horti-
culture. pomology, forestry and tlori-
culture have gradually increased. Ag-
ricultnral societies offering premiums
are found in every State. and most of
the Territories. Popular interest 10
especially active in agricultural socie-
ties in the West, and is constantly I'M
creasing in. the South. The official list
Of State, district and county agricul-
tural fairs, held this year. not includ.
ing supplementary lists, shows a list
of 1877 fairs held this year. the dates oc-
curing principally in September and
October. The four States holding the
largest number of fairs in 1887 are,
Illinois. 80; Iowa and Ohio, 95 each.
and Indiana. 81. The premiums at the
State fairs of these States aggregate
an immense sum yearly. It is safe to
say the agricultural societies Of the
United States have exercised greater
influence for the advancement of agri.
culture than any other meana-Farn.
Field and StOcEmdn.